


Five Times Robert & Aaron Talked About the Past and the Future (Without Really Talking At All)

by miss_whimsy



Series: Five Times: Roblivion Family Fics [2]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, Family, Fluff, M/M, Married Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-09-02 00:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8643700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_whimsy/pseuds/miss_whimsy
Summary: Following each scene in Five Times Liv Called Robert "Dad", Robert and Aaron discuss the past and the future with varying degrees of success.





	

1.

The front door slammed and Aaron heard a quiet rumble of voices and then the steady thump of Liv climbing the stairs. He heard Robert sigh, heard his keys hit the side table in the hall, and then the door behind him opened and Robert's hand touched his neck, keeping the connection as he rounded the sofa and flopped down next to him.

"She alright?"

"She said she felt sick," Robert said through a yawn, letting his head fall onto Aaron's shoulder. "It's more than that, though."

"Should I go and talk to her?" Aaron asked.

"Probably," Robert said. "Sorry, I'm still not used to this parenting lark."

Aaron chuckled. "Oh because I'm a natural."

"She's your sister, though."

"You've got a sister," Aaron reminded him. "Had one longer than me. Can't you just talk to her like she's Vic?"

Robert raised his head and stared at Aaron as if he'd gone mad.

"What?"

"No, I can't treat Liv like Vic."

"Well, I didn't mean scare her half to death so she only talks through a puppet."

"Oh, thanks," Robert snapped. "Thanks for that."

"I'm joking," Aaron said. "Seriously, if we can't joke about all the shit we've done-"

"What, like you sleeping with my sister?"

"I knew you were going to bring that up," Aaron said, shaking his head. "You cannot be jealous of that."

"You lost your virginity to her!"

"You lost yours to Nicola," Aaron argued. "I don't get all weird about that."

"Nicola's not your sister."

Aaron rubbed his face and took a deep breath. "Why are we talking about this stuff?"

"You tell me," Robert muttered.

"I wasn't having a go."

"I love Vic," Robert said. "She's one of the most important people in the world to me. I hate myself for hurting her."

"I know," Aaron assured him. "I know that."

Robert nodded, fiddled with the cushion under his arm. "I am jealous of her."

Aaron snorted. "I know that too."

Robert looked like he wanted to say something else. Aaron bit his lip to stop himself laughing.

"Do not ask that."

"I wasn't going to ask anything."

"Yeah you were and it's ridiculous, so don't do it."

Robert nodded and reached for Aaron's hand. "Sorry."

"I knew what I was getting into when I married you," Aaron said, leaning over to kiss him lightly. "Right drama queen."

"My caring husband," Robert murmured against Aaron's lips. "Fancy a shag?"

Aaron laughed, getting to his feet. "You must be joking. I'm going to see if Liv's alright."

Robert groaned. "Aaron..."

"You've got hands,” Aaron told him and laughed all the way upstairs.

 

2.

The house was dark when Robert got home, much later than usual. He hadn't gotten a lot done that day; he'd spent most of it staring at the walls of the portacabin and wondering what he'd done to upset Liv. He'd rearranged his meetings and considered going into town to get some new ties, but that thought just reminded him of why he needed them and that led back to wondering how he'd messed up.

Aaron and Adam had driven out to Barnsley first thing to collect something and Aaron had left him two voice-mails on the way there and three on the way back, the last of which had said that Robert really should be able to empathise with Liv right now, when he was also behaving like a teenage girl.

Maybe he was, but the words wouldn't stop ringing in his ears.

His phone beeped as he locked the front door and he checked his messages.

_A: Bedroom now._

Aaron was sat on the bed, fully clothed, his legs stretched out in front of him, hands folded on his stomach. There was a bag on Robert's side of the bed and Aaron nodded to it.

"From Liv," he said.

Robert shuffled over and picked up the bag, eyebrows flying up in surprise when he saw the name and logo printed on the side. Inside were five silk ties, individually wrapped in tissue paper. Altogether they must have cost a small fortune and Robert's brain couldn't process what was happening.

"She skived off school and went and bought you those," Aaron told him. "I punished her by sending her to stay with Gabby for the night."

"That's not a punishment."

"It is when Bernice wanted someone to test her new stock on. I told her to really go for it. Manicure, pedicure, makeup."

Robert smiled slightly. "She's going to hate you."

"She does. She said so."

"Aaron."

"Obviously she doesn't. Just like she doesn't hate you. She was upset."

"I don't know what I did, though," Robert told him, lying down on the bed beside him. "How can I avoid doing it again if I don't even know what it was?"

"You can't," Aaron said. "Welcome to parenting."

Robert closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face. "I can't stop hearing it."

Aaron shifted onto his side and placed his hand on Robert's chest, right over the place he'd been shot. Robert's hand covered his and he looked at Aaron curiously.

"I love you."

Robert's eyes fluttered closed again and he took a deep breath. "Yeah." He rolled to face Aaron, winding his arms around him.

"I always, always did. Do. Will. And Liv's the same."

"I know," Robert sighed. "I'm sorry for..."

“Being a grumpy bugger?” Aaron smiled and kissed Robert lightly on the lips. 

"You're one to talk,” Robert said and kissed him back.

 

3.

Robert drove home. His fear and anger had completely dissolved as soon as the girls were safe in the back of the car, while Aaron was still shaking with it.

Gabby passed out as soon as they set off, her head on Liv's shoulder, their hands clasped tightly. Liv managed to stay awake long enough to apologise and promise it wouldn't happen again.

"You're not even old enough," Aaron snapped, and then sighed and turned back around in his seat. "She's asleep."

"Good," Robert said. "I don't think you telling her she's not old enough to drink is going to help anything."

"She's seventeen, Robert."

"And you never drank at seventeen I suppose."

"Don't get all logical with me now," Aaron argued. "It's not the drinking. It's not telling us where she's going. It's staying out ‘til all hours and getting so drunk she can't get home."

"I know that," Robert told him. "I agree with you. I'm just saying, It's nothing worse than we've done. In fact, if this is the worst thing she ever does then she's a bloody angel compared to us."

Aaron fell silent, relaxed into his seat, took a couple of deep breaths.

"You keep saying us," Aaron said, "but really you mean you."

"Hang on,” Robert said, with a frown, “when did you turn into a saint?"

"The day I met you," Aaron chuckled, sliding his hand over Robert's thigh and squeezing his knee.

"Cheeky git," Robert muttered.

Aaron ran his hand back up the inside of Robert’s leg.

“Also a liar,” Robert said. “If I crash this car, you are going to explain to Chas what happened. I’m not getting another lecture from her just because you can’t keep your hands to yourself.”

Aaron stifled a laugh but pulled his hand back. He turned again to check on Liv.

“She’s a good kid isn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Robert said, glancing over at him with the smile. “She’s the best.”

 

4.

Liv went up to her room after another hour, leaving Robert and Aaron at the kitchen table debating whether or not to go back to bed.

"It's nearly time to get up anyway," Robert said, as he got up to flick the kettle back on.

"Where does she meet these blokes?" Aaron asked finishing off the last lukewarm mouthful from his cup. "The last one was an idiot. This one's a creep. She deserves someone nice."

Robert didn't say anything. He waited until the kettle boiled and made two fresh cups of tea. Aaron watched the whole process in silence until Robert was sat next to him again.

"What?"

"I didn't say anything?"

"You have that look on your face."

Robert frowned. "What look?"

"The look that means you want to argue with me."

"I don't want to argue," Robert said, shaking his head. "Liv deserves someone who treats her right."

"That's what I said."

Robert sipped his tea.

"There it is again. What?"

"I'm not nice," Robert said quickly, as though he wanted to get it over and done with. "Lots of people didn't want us to be together."

"That's different," Aaron argued.

"No, it's not," Robert said. "And no, I don't think Joe was good for her. He's a little shit. But your mum's said that about me too."

Aaron stared at him.

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

They sat for a couple of minutes, cups of tea cooling between them.

"Paddy told me not to marry you," Aaron said quietly.

Robert looked up at him sharply, his heart beating a little too quickly in his chest. "What?"

"Begged me. That morning. I was so nervous. I kept thinking about everything. Chrissie. Katie. I got myself all worked up. Couldn't talk to mum. Couldn't talk to you." He shrugged. "I wanted him to calm me down. Tell me it was going to be okay."

"What happened?"

"He made me a cup of tea," Aaron said. "Asked me if I was sure I was doing the right thing. I said no. I wasn't sure."

Robert winced. Felt the words like a knife to his heart.

Aaron reached out and cupped the side of Robert's face, stroked his thumb over Robert's cheek.

"He said, ‘Don't do it then. Don't marry him. Please.’"

Robert closed his eyes.

"Hey," Aaron said gently. "Hey, look at me." He smiled as Robert opened his eyes and met his. "Do you know what I said?"

"No," Robert whispered, shaking his head slightly.

"I said, ‘I'll never love anyone else.’"

They leant in towards each other until their foreheads were resting together.

"Aaron..."

"Paddy was sure about Rhona. Mum was sure about Gordon. You were sure about Chrissie. What does being sure get you?"

He kissed Robert then, the same sweet and hopeful way he had on their wedding day. 

"I don't blame him for saying it. And I know you don't either because you'd do the same if it was Liv. We can't make her decisions for her, we just have to support her and trust that she’ll make the right choices, just like I did when I married you."

"I don't deserve you," Robert breathed against Aaron's lips, kissing him again, deeper and harder, needing to get closer.

"Don't be stupid," Aaron murmured, sliding forward onto Robert's lap. "You deserve the same as me. We deserve each other.”

 

5.

York was uncomfortably hot for the last weekend in September, made worse by the crowds of new students descending on the city for Freshers week.

Robert had thought that a night in a hotel would be a nice break for him and Aaron. A sort of buffer between dropping Liv off and arriving back to their house, which was now just theirs.

If he was honest with himself, he was terrified at the prospect.

The heat and the crowds forced them back to their hotel earlier than planned and they threw open the windows, letting some much-needed air into the room. The sounds of the street drifted up to them, laughter and singing and the odd car rising above a general hum of the people.

It gave them some cover later that evening when they came together, their names on each other's lips.

Aaron clung to Robert, slid his fingers into his hair as he kissed him. "Stay there," he murmured. "Just for a bit."

Robert nodded and rested his cheek against Aaron's shoulder. "Okay."

They lay like that together, lost in their own thoughts, fingers trailing over skin, soothing each other without knowing why.

"I'm scared," Aaron said eventually.

Robert let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. "Me too."

"We've never lived on our own before."

"I know," Robert said, pressed a kiss to Aaron's neck.

"We could really mess things up."

"You and me?" Robert smiled, Aaron's words doing nothing but make him feel calmer and more content. "We'll definitely mess things up."

"Not us, though," Aaron said, almost, but not quite, a question.

"No,” Robert said, raising his head just enough to meet Aaron's eyes. "Never us."

**Author's Note:**

> Next up: Five Times Robert Called Liv His Daughter.


End file.
